Blog Tracker
09-07-2023, 18:40
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/choice-overload-is-killing-beer-market.html)
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After the excitement of last Friday's day trip to Manchester,this week ended on a much quieter note. As hinted at, in a couple of previousposts, I've been playing catch up in the garden and am pleased to report thatwith the planting out of the sweetcorn and the sunflowers, carefully nurturedfrom seed, my outstanding outdoor tasks are more or less complete. There’sobviously routine maintenance to be carried out, but by and large everything inthe garden is under control.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrKxq45cAMbykzr91eATMBNbdq_TEXT_zfl2EUFeacN 0Y5Efqda-I5VxCT-GkoXJS0L-bZg1Ew9r4tDRNK_TEv0WxPTQ3qYRrwzdh3ISGNja7Q746PiOru Ts9-TK6LRoHj07GYwvzwwCly2uxZRvLLZFteyF1CsQc1jr8JLZWscV 9IWhiyI1bclAi1Wo/w400-h300/Saltaire%20tap.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrKxq45cAMbykzr91eATMBNbdq_TEXT_zfl2EUFeacN 0Y5Efqda-I5VxCT-GkoXJS0L-bZg1Ew9r4tDRNK_TEv0WxPTQ3qYRrwzdh3ISGNja7Q746PiOru Ts9-TK6LRoHj07GYwvzwwCly2uxZRvLLZFteyF1CsQc1jr8JLZWscV 9IWhiyI1bclAi1Wo/s4081/Saltaire%20tap.jpg)
I've been catching up too with a few of the beers I broughtback from last month’s visit to Yorkshire. When all lined up, there were eightin total, all of them brewed locally in the county, and some from breweriesthat many of you will recognise. All of them were purchased Asda, and what'smore there are two lots of “four beers for the price of three.” They obviouslylike their Asda in that part of West Yorkshire, as after visiting the chain’slarge store in Shipley, we discovered an even larger superstore in Keighley.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBYZwnbdko_IAbRcf1ITUB5PDWPPqZG6RHmkYdFr6Bh Aaiq8sKq8g0uD2u8Ko9AKf32EBLpn5DWD3r5JYTtNNghMB1CW9 WA6pSvte3qUNY_YP3nkCnqQjhyu6kr834EX4Da15-hlA---a9jxl8CD1lOzf5PENpCHYiNE5yyw5aMzspoihxcyzXSSmeGw/w400-h225/IMG_20220612_153357.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBYZwnbdko_IAbRcf1ITUB5PDWPPqZG6RHmkYdFr6Bh Aaiq8sKq8g0uD2u8Ko9AKf32EBLpn5DWD3r5JYTtNNghMB1CW9 WA6pSvte3qUNY_YP3nkCnqQjhyu6kr834EX4Da15-hlA---a9jxl8CD1lOzf5PENpCHYiNE5yyw5aMzspoihxcyzXSSmeGw/s4000/IMG_20220612_153357.jpg)
I'd called in at the store to top up the car, with cutprice diesel for the journey home, but it seemed rude not to take a look insidethe store, and as well as the beers, I managed to pick up couple of summerT-shirts. Again, these were on offer, this time priced at £5 each, or two for £8.That's my summer wardrobe sorted, as these garments will go with the othersI've been accumulating, in readiness for this autumn’s Mediterranean cruise.
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More about that another time as what I want to do here, isask if two of Asda's Yorkshire stores can not only offer a good deal on bottledbeers, but promote local ones as well, why can't their outlets here in Kent dothe same? I say this because on Friday, Eileen and I called in at Asda at King’sHill, near West Malling ostensibly to stock up on boring stuff such ashousehold cleaners and washing liquid (Mrs PBT's reckons Asda are the cheapest supermarketfor these items). Whilst there I took a look at the beers, and guess what, Ididn't see any locally brewed beers. The same applies to the company’sTunbridge Wells outlet.
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I'm not sure why this anomaly should come about, although I'mprobably not wrong in thinking price plays an important role here. So whetherKent breweries are slower that their Yorkshire counterparts, when it comes to offering discounts, or whether thedecision to buy local is left up to individual stores, isn’t clear. All very strangebut come to think of it I haven't seen any local beers recently in Waitrose either.At one time their Tonbridge store was a regular stockist of both Westerham andWhitstable beers, but now, in common with most of the other local supermarketsit's national brands or nothing in the PBA (Premium Bottled Ales) sector.There’s also a load of garish looking cans filled with hazy, “citrus bombs” fromthe likes of Beavertown, Tiny Rebel, Northern Monk, and Brew Dog.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV49LQaCyeFqOcpOryt-s0u9IDiStwIUtl6VlX23DJ76kIIReOSVC3SCKEwAl2ZkGq-yrnq8USMB8CaTTJeIVbHwrGLnb3ZgqwBPMhKMO3aILYnLptJH7 2AT2vqIFvTocjI_1FFwUOiq0Y0PNvv1dWjyNpKqB---MCihZR45xRbLnFfP00hxZ7KxTF6yk/w400-h225/BTH%20overview.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV49LQaCyeFqOcpOryt-s0u9IDiStwIUtl6VlX23DJ76kIIReOSVC3SCKEwAl2ZkGq-yrnq8USMB8CaTTJeIVbHwrGLnb3ZgqwBPMhKMO3aILYnLptJH7 2AT2vqIFvTocjI_1FFwUOiq0Y0PNvv1dWjyNpKqB---MCihZR45xRbLnFfP00hxZ7KxTF6yk/s4000/BTH%20overview.jpg)
The canned craft sector is another mystery, and thinkingback to visit I made earlier in the year, with West Kent CAMRA to the brandspanking new By the Horns brewery, at Salfords near Redhill, I still haven'tseen any of that brewery’s cans on sale locally. This is despite the new plantchurning out umpteen varieties of different beers, all packed in gaudy-lookingcan, by the caseload. I said at the time, and I shall say it again, “Whereis all this beer going?” More to the point where is it being sold? Exportperhaps, because beers from By the Horns have been conspicuous by their absencein local supermarkets and off-licenses.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70RCIE7of4OT7EBK6aVXQaP2bhxHotGUuY7DX7MKXzv gdX5fJ-60iqrylj2ibugCo7k1x-DWLrAbGOflDFs-29oCXU5GHeILI-gnEuF7zLNaC9G1l-zSIbyX9c9XIMn_vtmUX14fCkqJiZpRXcYbWl46ImeoiyuyAsWm iPHQX00eVG4sITl5OvuaPDCk/w400-h300/IMG_20200306_121101.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70RCIE7of4OT7EBK6aVXQaP2bhxHotGUuY7DX7MKXzv gdX5fJ-60iqrylj2ibugCo7k1x-DWLrAbGOflDFs-29oCXU5GHeILI-gnEuF7zLNaC9G1l-zSIbyX9c9XIMn_vtmUX14fCkqJiZpRXcYbWl46ImeoiyuyAsWm iPHQX00eVG4sITl5OvuaPDCk/s4000/IMG_20200306_121101.jpg)
It’s my opinion that the brewing industry has definitelyreached the stage where capacity is way in excess of actual demand, andsomewhat ironically, we're back to the situation that existed in the finalquarter of the last century. This was when a number of large, red brick,Victorian brew houses, many dominating the towns where they were located, were operatingat a level way below their actual capacity, as the demand for traditional topfermented ales, began to plummet. Driving this change was a change in publictastes, as drinkers switched to lager. The latter were often brewed in gleaming,modern looking, energy efficient plants, close to the motorway network, leavingmany of these lovely old Victorian breweries as surplus to requirements.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWWlAIQFW2emVlt97--aqjEIezEuwCn67LtnsWgdBK4RocyPN4AH_XTsy60HlV5dJMyaa VuucCpm9H_xrJ2pLogH2MOLc8qFp373L-e3UprV0S0ggkAB5h6eZBwdteBb2RtJ7XFUrXicUkE67t6Pgf7e jCE1uFZM0U5fD5gxH2tC0kcimVAGyvNAiqZE/w400-h276/Conicals.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWWlAIQFW2emVlt97--aqjEIezEuwCn67LtnsWgdBK4RocyPN4AH_XTsy60HlV5dJMyaa VuucCpm9H_xrJ2pLogH2MOLc8qFp373L-e3UprV0S0ggkAB5h6eZBwdteBb2RtJ7XFUrXicUkE67t6Pgf7e jCE1uFZM0U5fD5gxH2tC0kcimVAGyvNAiqZE/s3307/Conicals.jpg)
When I think back of some of the breweries I visited, overthe past half century, places such as Wethered’s at Marlow, Morland (https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/feature-articles/morland-brewery) at Abingdon, (https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/feature-articles/morland-brewery)Fremlin’s at Faversham, Caledonian in Edinburgh, Hall & Woodhouse atBlandford, Dorset, and even Young’s of Wandsworth. All of these breweries weremassive undertakings, and I would lay money on them all operating well belowtheir potential capacity. With the explosion in numbers of new small, independent brewers,in the first quarter of the new century, we are seeing the exact same issue of overcapacity,and this has led to a significant squeeze on the remaining family-owned brewers.
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These are the firms that survived the lean years of the “keg revolution” of the60’s and 70’s, and whilst a resurgent demand for locally brewed cask ale,driven in the main by CAMRA, led to a reversal of their fortunes, at least fora while, some are still feeling the pinch. Furthermore, although the merges andtakeovers, that had led to the formation of the Big Six brewers abated, duringthe early years of CAMRA, they soon started picking up pace again. Along with out and out takeovers, there were several instancesof a falling out between family members, with some wanting to cash in theirchips, whilst others from the family wanted to keep going. Oxford brewer Morrell’s (https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19354692.last-orders-morrells-brewery-stopped-serving-oxford-200-years/)is one example, where a family feud led to the brewery and its pubs being soldoff, and there were several others as well. Ridleys, King & Barnes, Gales,and Young's spring to mind, and Lincolnshire brewer Batemans, nearly sufferedthe same fate. Fortunately, in that instance, company chairman George Batemanand his family were able to raise sufficient cash to buy out the shares of his remainingsiblings and the brewery was saved.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_JwanIikQlhGjBmgKH56nURFsY03cGWBCbISrVJ-ets0biwHYEXyGN0QBqbzVnyHRUHo1TpXL_4g5zAzcLhEasPLrt cAGSfQbOUwwRNVHz3gUUfl8SLGtkn8CftMjYDeznxwg4R95wRF pjhFVoEWz5fQCfs_YBOvJ9hsqDZeTsQA82nlKJh5gsA8WsQ/w369-h400/Brewed%20Boy%20beers.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_JwanIikQlhGjBmgKH56nURFsY03cGWBCbISrVJ-ets0biwHYEXyGN0QBqbzVnyHRUHo1TpXL_4g5zAzcLhEasPLrt cAGSfQbOUwwRNVHz3gUUfl8SLGtkn8CftMjYDeznxwg4R95wRF pjhFVoEWz5fQCfs_YBOvJ9hsqDZeTsQA82nlKJh5gsA8WsQ/s2443/Brewed%20Boy%20beers.jpg)
There has obviously been a significant change in people'sdrinking habits, and the way in which they interact and socialise. Today, farmore drinking is done in the home rather than in pubs and bars, and it'sdifficult to know where it's all going to end. It's one thing to have such awide choice of different beers, although as the number of choices increases, so does thedifficulty of knowing what is best. Many of us are creatures ofhabit, so does seeing supermarket shelves stacked high with arrays of garishly colouredcans of beer, often from breweries that only the most devoted of beer geekswill have heard of, improve our lives in any way?
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUmwQmCv66UTYBOn3Unw-Et_c2KGBSUhWbzGaCVCozuLzvSiRMOCxcLPWH18y2dM-skMINRIgZP4DeLDMI7ULe7bvGtW-LMuM7OXqX9YKx3_AMQ82QUIY4DOu6zDQotAgX8AsNMbXXRFCvT lLtE5GKHL0l8f_ss50expCK4Msm3_XmNKPktQjbMNKEH8/w400-h300/Gatehouse.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUmwQmCv66UTYBOn3Unw-Et_c2KGBSUhWbzGaCVCozuLzvSiRMOCxcLPWH18y2dM-skMINRIgZP4DeLDMI7ULe7bvGtW-LMuM7OXqX9YKx3_AMQ82QUIY4DOu6zDQotAgX8AsNMbXXRFCvT lLtE5GKHL0l8f_ss50expCK4Msm3_XmNKPktQjbMNKEH8/s8000/Gatehouse.jpg)
Instead of increasing our freedom to have what we want, the paradox ofchoice suggests that having too many choices actually limits our freedom. Knownas choice overload, choice paralysis, or the paradox of choice, people becomeoverwhelmed when presented with too many options to choose from, and end upplaying it safe, by sticking with brands they know and feel comfortable with. Attemptingto overcome this paradox is one of the major issues facing new entrants to thebeer market, and before going any further, let me say there are already far toomany brewers trying to compete in a diminishing market. I’m sure that I will be pilloried in CAMRA circles for saying so, but toomuch choice really is killing the beer market. Furthermore, when that choice isdriven, by poorly formulated, un-balanced cloudy murk, brewed by the proverbial“man in a shed” it really is time to wake up and smell the coffee – or shouldthat be the malt and hops!
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More... (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/choice-overload-is-killing-beer-market.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteesgvwiUuWYdlMm_a516jWiohhDP7qsmZJCn0WG7_r mzcAXxp9oiDnZKr5BZ4A3eLUv7HWTO5QXFFfnqiTC3o0zFXkio e2LZfpP6B1AyLN-0TQcDIoVT4SnWZKLjhQwSdzHkfrVon5_2df9zzG-Pfq4w44faIMTF0_v2dPiD-Hk2r4L67WwCckOr4zg/w400-h225/Yorkshire%20bottles.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteesgvwiUuWYdlMm_a516jWiohhDP7qsmZJCn0WG7_r mzcAXxp9oiDnZKr5BZ4A3eLUv7HWTO5QXFFfnqiTC3o0zFXkio e2LZfpP6B1AyLN-0TQcDIoVT4SnWZKLjhQwSdzHkfrVon5_2df9zzG-Pfq4w44faIMTF0_v2dPiD-Hk2r4L67WwCckOr4zg/s4000/Yorkshire%20bottles.jpg)
After the excitement of last Friday's day trip to Manchester,this week ended on a much quieter note. As hinted at, in a couple of previousposts, I've been playing catch up in the garden and am pleased to report thatwith the planting out of the sweetcorn and the sunflowers, carefully nurturedfrom seed, my outstanding outdoor tasks are more or less complete. There’sobviously routine maintenance to be carried out, but by and large everything inthe garden is under control.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrKxq45cAMbykzr91eATMBNbdq_TEXT_zfl2EUFeacN 0Y5Efqda-I5VxCT-GkoXJS0L-bZg1Ew9r4tDRNK_TEv0WxPTQ3qYRrwzdh3ISGNja7Q746PiOru Ts9-TK6LRoHj07GYwvzwwCly2uxZRvLLZFteyF1CsQc1jr8JLZWscV 9IWhiyI1bclAi1Wo/w400-h300/Saltaire%20tap.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrKxq45cAMbykzr91eATMBNbdq_TEXT_zfl2EUFeacN 0Y5Efqda-I5VxCT-GkoXJS0L-bZg1Ew9r4tDRNK_TEv0WxPTQ3qYRrwzdh3ISGNja7Q746PiOru Ts9-TK6LRoHj07GYwvzwwCly2uxZRvLLZFteyF1CsQc1jr8JLZWscV 9IWhiyI1bclAi1Wo/s4081/Saltaire%20tap.jpg)
I've been catching up too with a few of the beers I broughtback from last month’s visit to Yorkshire. When all lined up, there were eightin total, all of them brewed locally in the county, and some from breweriesthat many of you will recognise. All of them were purchased Asda, and what'smore there are two lots of “four beers for the price of three.” They obviouslylike their Asda in that part of West Yorkshire, as after visiting the chain’slarge store in Shipley, we discovered an even larger superstore in Keighley.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBYZwnbdko_IAbRcf1ITUB5PDWPPqZG6RHmkYdFr6Bh Aaiq8sKq8g0uD2u8Ko9AKf32EBLpn5DWD3r5JYTtNNghMB1CW9 WA6pSvte3qUNY_YP3nkCnqQjhyu6kr834EX4Da15-hlA---a9jxl8CD1lOzf5PENpCHYiNE5yyw5aMzspoihxcyzXSSmeGw/w400-h225/IMG_20220612_153357.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBYZwnbdko_IAbRcf1ITUB5PDWPPqZG6RHmkYdFr6Bh Aaiq8sKq8g0uD2u8Ko9AKf32EBLpn5DWD3r5JYTtNNghMB1CW9 WA6pSvte3qUNY_YP3nkCnqQjhyu6kr834EX4Da15-hlA---a9jxl8CD1lOzf5PENpCHYiNE5yyw5aMzspoihxcyzXSSmeGw/s4000/IMG_20220612_153357.jpg)
I'd called in at the store to top up the car, with cutprice diesel for the journey home, but it seemed rude not to take a look insidethe store, and as well as the beers, I managed to pick up couple of summerT-shirts. Again, these were on offer, this time priced at £5 each, or two for £8.That's my summer wardrobe sorted, as these garments will go with the othersI've been accumulating, in readiness for this autumn’s Mediterranean cruise.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwWCpP7AuOOBd27etFbKBz6GE_fUsSABBi7dAIMmQxp cFdo4jbFbJ7Pjq2QnSKKP4GnJAJaoB42eH7iZppm6fEI1RIS45 rahOu91zt7vC5mXFzpxQP-ZD2TIbu-gUSk_ndlMLTpw8KKHECl4uOxRlFh4CJVzPO8B-5AOX42azUHjI1JE8wi_uIcTR16Q/w400-h348/Kings%20Hill%20ball.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwWCpP7AuOOBd27etFbKBz6GE_fUsSABBi7dAIMmQxp cFdo4jbFbJ7Pjq2QnSKKP4GnJAJaoB42eH7iZppm6fEI1RIS45 rahOu91zt7vC5mXFzpxQP-ZD2TIbu-gUSk_ndlMLTpw8KKHECl4uOxRlFh4CJVzPO8B-5AOX42azUHjI1JE8wi_uIcTR16Q/s400/Kings%20Hill%20ball.jpg)
More about that another time as what I want to do here, isask if two of Asda's Yorkshire stores can not only offer a good deal on bottledbeers, but promote local ones as well, why can't their outlets here in Kent dothe same? I say this because on Friday, Eileen and I called in at Asda at King’sHill, near West Malling ostensibly to stock up on boring stuff such ashousehold cleaners and washing liquid (Mrs PBT's reckons Asda are the cheapest supermarketfor these items). Whilst there I took a look at the beers, and guess what, Ididn't see any locally brewed beers. The same applies to the company’sTunbridge Wells outlet.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuOmw66aUKV_2PXFPYMYGUBWW-BIhn5gxJ40oYFjLM5kzGKj_H9MgPlFqV1o2Gyo9C7qS0YPF0El qHtK7URUUJ4-Ec9qOPDRrN1XX7wJhx3t-0J3Z6nVBOIOBY9gEH4Jd8wwQd3nQIdurCgq8CxYXLXN8dITufE 2ps6nJ8kbSx6dR1JHhaWeEOxaF1So/w300-h400/20170311_142618.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuOmw66aUKV_2PXFPYMYGUBWW-BIhn5gxJ40oYFjLM5kzGKj_H9MgPlFqV1o2Gyo9C7qS0YPF0El qHtK7URUUJ4-Ec9qOPDRrN1XX7wJhx3t-0J3Z6nVBOIOBY9gEH4Jd8wwQd3nQIdurCgq8CxYXLXN8dITufE 2ps6nJ8kbSx6dR1JHhaWeEOxaF1So/s4128/20170311_142618.jpg)
I'm not sure why this anomaly should come about, although I'mprobably not wrong in thinking price plays an important role here. So whetherKent breweries are slower that their Yorkshire counterparts, when it comes to offering discounts, or whether thedecision to buy local is left up to individual stores, isn’t clear. All very strangebut come to think of it I haven't seen any local beers recently in Waitrose either.At one time their Tonbridge store was a regular stockist of both Westerham andWhitstable beers, but now, in common with most of the other local supermarketsit's national brands or nothing in the PBA (Premium Bottled Ales) sector.There’s also a load of garish looking cans filled with hazy, “citrus bombs” fromthe likes of Beavertown, Tiny Rebel, Northern Monk, and Brew Dog.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV49LQaCyeFqOcpOryt-s0u9IDiStwIUtl6VlX23DJ76kIIReOSVC3SCKEwAl2ZkGq-yrnq8USMB8CaTTJeIVbHwrGLnb3ZgqwBPMhKMO3aILYnLptJH7 2AT2vqIFvTocjI_1FFwUOiq0Y0PNvv1dWjyNpKqB---MCihZR45xRbLnFfP00hxZ7KxTF6yk/w400-h225/BTH%20overview.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV49LQaCyeFqOcpOryt-s0u9IDiStwIUtl6VlX23DJ76kIIReOSVC3SCKEwAl2ZkGq-yrnq8USMB8CaTTJeIVbHwrGLnb3ZgqwBPMhKMO3aILYnLptJH7 2AT2vqIFvTocjI_1FFwUOiq0Y0PNvv1dWjyNpKqB---MCihZR45xRbLnFfP00hxZ7KxTF6yk/s4000/BTH%20overview.jpg)
The canned craft sector is another mystery, and thinkingback to visit I made earlier in the year, with West Kent CAMRA to the brandspanking new By the Horns brewery, at Salfords near Redhill, I still haven'tseen any of that brewery’s cans on sale locally. This is despite the new plantchurning out umpteen varieties of different beers, all packed in gaudy-lookingcan, by the caseload. I said at the time, and I shall say it again, “Whereis all this beer going?” More to the point where is it being sold? Exportperhaps, because beers from By the Horns have been conspicuous by their absencein local supermarkets and off-licenses.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70RCIE7of4OT7EBK6aVXQaP2bhxHotGUuY7DX7MKXzv gdX5fJ-60iqrylj2ibugCo7k1x-DWLrAbGOflDFs-29oCXU5GHeILI-gnEuF7zLNaC9G1l-zSIbyX9c9XIMn_vtmUX14fCkqJiZpRXcYbWl46ImeoiyuyAsWm iPHQX00eVG4sITl5OvuaPDCk/w400-h300/IMG_20200306_121101.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70RCIE7of4OT7EBK6aVXQaP2bhxHotGUuY7DX7MKXzv gdX5fJ-60iqrylj2ibugCo7k1x-DWLrAbGOflDFs-29oCXU5GHeILI-gnEuF7zLNaC9G1l-zSIbyX9c9XIMn_vtmUX14fCkqJiZpRXcYbWl46ImeoiyuyAsWm iPHQX00eVG4sITl5OvuaPDCk/s4000/IMG_20200306_121101.jpg)
It’s my opinion that the brewing industry has definitelyreached the stage where capacity is way in excess of actual demand, andsomewhat ironically, we're back to the situation that existed in the finalquarter of the last century. This was when a number of large, red brick,Victorian brew houses, many dominating the towns where they were located, were operatingat a level way below their actual capacity, as the demand for traditional topfermented ales, began to plummet. Driving this change was a change in publictastes, as drinkers switched to lager. The latter were often brewed in gleaming,modern looking, energy efficient plants, close to the motorway network, leavingmany of these lovely old Victorian breweries as surplus to requirements.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWWlAIQFW2emVlt97--aqjEIezEuwCn67LtnsWgdBK4RocyPN4AH_XTsy60HlV5dJMyaa VuucCpm9H_xrJ2pLogH2MOLc8qFp373L-e3UprV0S0ggkAB5h6eZBwdteBb2RtJ7XFUrXicUkE67t6Pgf7e jCE1uFZM0U5fD5gxH2tC0kcimVAGyvNAiqZE/w400-h276/Conicals.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWWlAIQFW2emVlt97--aqjEIezEuwCn67LtnsWgdBK4RocyPN4AH_XTsy60HlV5dJMyaa VuucCpm9H_xrJ2pLogH2MOLc8qFp373L-e3UprV0S0ggkAB5h6eZBwdteBb2RtJ7XFUrXicUkE67t6Pgf7e jCE1uFZM0U5fD5gxH2tC0kcimVAGyvNAiqZE/s3307/Conicals.jpg)
When I think back of some of the breweries I visited, overthe past half century, places such as Wethered’s at Marlow, Morland (https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/feature-articles/morland-brewery) at Abingdon, (https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/feature-articles/morland-brewery)Fremlin’s at Faversham, Caledonian in Edinburgh, Hall & Woodhouse atBlandford, Dorset, and even Young’s of Wandsworth. All of these breweries weremassive undertakings, and I would lay money on them all operating well belowtheir potential capacity. With the explosion in numbers of new small, independent brewers,in the first quarter of the new century, we are seeing the exact same issue of overcapacity,and this has led to a significant squeeze on the remaining family-owned brewers.
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These are the firms that survived the lean years of the “keg revolution” of the60’s and 70’s, and whilst a resurgent demand for locally brewed cask ale,driven in the main by CAMRA, led to a reversal of their fortunes, at least fora while, some are still feeling the pinch. Furthermore, although the merges andtakeovers, that had led to the formation of the Big Six brewers abated, duringthe early years of CAMRA, they soon started picking up pace again. Along with out and out takeovers, there were several instancesof a falling out between family members, with some wanting to cash in theirchips, whilst others from the family wanted to keep going. Oxford brewer Morrell’s (https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19354692.last-orders-morrells-brewery-stopped-serving-oxford-200-years/)is one example, where a family feud led to the brewery and its pubs being soldoff, and there were several others as well. Ridleys, King & Barnes, Gales,and Young's spring to mind, and Lincolnshire brewer Batemans, nearly sufferedthe same fate. Fortunately, in that instance, company chairman George Batemanand his family were able to raise sufficient cash to buy out the shares of his remainingsiblings and the brewery was saved.
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There has obviously been a significant change in people'sdrinking habits, and the way in which they interact and socialise. Today, farmore drinking is done in the home rather than in pubs and bars, and it'sdifficult to know where it's all going to end. It's one thing to have such awide choice of different beers, although as the number of choices increases, so does thedifficulty of knowing what is best. Many of us are creatures ofhabit, so does seeing supermarket shelves stacked high with arrays of garishly colouredcans of beer, often from breweries that only the most devoted of beer geekswill have heard of, improve our lives in any way?
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Instead of increasing our freedom to have what we want, the paradox ofchoice suggests that having too many choices actually limits our freedom. Knownas choice overload, choice paralysis, or the paradox of choice, people becomeoverwhelmed when presented with too many options to choose from, and end upplaying it safe, by sticking with brands they know and feel comfortable with. Attemptingto overcome this paradox is one of the major issues facing new entrants to thebeer market, and before going any further, let me say there are already far toomany brewers trying to compete in a diminishing market. I’m sure that I will be pilloried in CAMRA circles for saying so, but toomuch choice really is killing the beer market. Furthermore, when that choice isdriven, by poorly formulated, un-balanced cloudy murk, brewed by the proverbial“man in a shed” it really is time to wake up and smell the coffee – or shouldthat be the malt and hops!
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